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This blog provides information for educational purposes only. Read our complete summary for more info.

February 3, 2013
Last updated

Alcohol Yields

Owner of Clawhammer Supply

How Much Alcohol Will a Still Produce?

Before we get started, a reminder: Distilling alcohol is illegal without a federal fuel alcohol or distilled spirit plant permit as well as relevant state permits. Our distillation equipment is designed for legal uses only and the information in this article is for educational purposes only. Please read our complete legal summary for more information on the legalities of distillation.

 

The amount of alcohol produced by a still depends on starting alcohol and final proof. In this article we'll explain how a commercial distiller would determine how much alcohol to expect from a run.

For the instant gratification seekers in the crowd, here's the short answer:

  • A 1 gallon run will yield 3-6 cups of alcohol
  • A 5 gallon run will yield 1-2 gallons of alcohol
  • A 8 gallon run will yield 1.5-3 gallons of alcohol
  • A 10 gallon run will yield 2-4 gallons of alcohol

For the researchers, science nerds, alchemists, and truth seekers, here's why:

Starting Alcohol

Starting alcohol can vary significantly, having a big impact on the final yield. Starting alcohol is generally expressed as "alcohol by volume" or ABV. It's simply the percentage of alcohol in a solution of alcohol wash. For example a 10 gallon wash that contains 1 gallon of pure alcohol will have an ABV of 10%. The higher the starting alcohol, the higher the potential yield.

The starting alcohol of a wash is dependent on two things: the amount of fermentable sugar produced by the mash, or added in lieu of making a mash, and the type of yeast used.

Fermentable sugar

Fermentable sugar is exactly what it sounds like - the amount of sugar available to be eaten by yeast that can later be turned into alcohol. If there isn't very much sugar then there won't be much alcohol. However, too much sugar is wasteful. The amount of sugar needed depends on the recipe, the size of the batch, and the potential alcohol production by the yeast. Though, in general, the more fermentable sugar there is in the mash, the higher the potential starting alcohol and the higher the yield.

Yeast

The type of yeast used is very important as well. Bread yeast (the kind that can be purchased at a grocery store) will produce starting alcohol in the 10% range, whereas a strong distillers yeast may produce starting alcohol as high as 20%. This is due to two factors. First, distillers yeast has been bred to withstand higher concentrations of ambient alcohol. Where a bread yeast might die off once starting alcohol has reached 10 or 12%, a distillers yeast will still thrive, and will do so until ambient alcohol has increased to a much higher level (20% or so). Second, some distillers yeasts are packaged with loads of yeast nutrients i.e. Turbo 24, 48, etc. This can actually be a bad thing, as the excess nutrients contained in turbo yeasts can cause off flavors in the final product. Checkout our article "Bourbon, Whiskey, Vodka and Moonshine - How Much Yeast?" for more information on yeast.

In short, good yeast will allow for a higher starting alcohol and a greater final yield without producing off flavors.

Final Proof

Final proof can also have a significant impact on yield. If 10 gallons (with a starting alcohol of 10%) is distilled, the amount of pure alcohol collected will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 1 gallon. However, the collected spirit won't be 100% pure (200 proof). It usually gets proofed down to somewhere around 100 proof, or 50% pure alcohol. While the total amount of alcohol collected remains the same, there is now twice as much "product" and the "yield" is doubled. The higher the final proof, the lower the final yield, the lower the final proof, the higher the final yield.

Collection efficiency

One final note is that all of the alcohol produced during fermentation will not be collected during the run. Generally only about 85 or 90% is collected because it takes too much time and energy to get the last little bit...and it isn't the good stuff anyway. For example, if there is 1 gallon of pure alcohol in a wash and it is distilled with a collection efficiency of 85%, then .85 gallons will be collected.

Summary

Here are a few examples of yields that a commercial distiller can expect when running 1, 5, or 10 gallon test batches:

  • A 1 gallon run with a starting alcohol of 10%, a final proof of 100, and a collection efficiency of 85% will yield 2.72 cups.
  • A 1 gallon run with a starting alcohol of 20%, a final proof of 100, and a collection efficiency of 85% will yield 5.44 cups.
  • A 5 gallon run with a starting alcohol of 10%, a final proof of 100, and a collection efficiency of 85% will yield .85 gallons.
  • A 5 gallon run with a starting alcohol of 20%, a final proof of 100, and a collection efficiency of 85% will yield 1.7 gallons.
  • A 8 gallon run with a starting alcohol of 10%, a final proof of 100, and a collection efficiency of 85% will yield 0.89 gallons.
    A 8 gallon run with a starting alcohol of 20%, a final proof of 100, and a collection efficiency of 85% will yield 1.79 gallons.
  • A 10 gallon run with a starting alcohol of 10%, a final proof of 100, and a collection efficiency of 85% will yield 1.7 gallons.
  • A 10 gallon run with a starting alcohol of 20%, a final proof of 100, and a collection efficiency of 85% will yield 3.4 gallons.
Remember, it is illegal to distill alcohol without the proper permits.

Kyle Brown is the owner of Clawhammer Supply, a small scale distillation and brewing equipment company which he founded in 2009. His passion is teaching people about the many uses of distillation equipment as well as how to make beer at home. When he isn't brewing beer or writing about it, you can find him at his local gym or on the running trail.

  • I watched the still building video. I would like to try and build one, but what gauge copper do I use?

    Posted by Big Sexy on May 19, 2013
  • What is a good yeast? Watching the moonshiners I noticed that one group of shiners did not use any yeast, instead they used malt. Can you explain how this recipe works? and how to make malt.

    Posted by eMawk on April 14, 2013
  • How does one determine the ABV of the wash ?

    Posted by Tim on March 31, 2013
  • Hi where can i find planes for a submarine with a thumper

    Posted by joseph on March 29, 2013
  • How do you measure out and cut the vapor cone, I do not see any thing on the video on it .

    Posted by James on March 16, 2013
  • do you make a 20 gallen still and how much will i cost.

    Posted by james on March 08, 2013
  • At what temp do u actually put your flaked maized in

    Posted by Charlie wright on March 04, 2013
  • What is the best way to clean the still after a run?

    Posted by Jerry Hayes on March 03, 2013
  • I know u use copper but what about galvanized metal. Is it safe to use that for the boiler of a still?

    Posted by spade on March 03, 2013
  • Is it safe to use jb weld to repair an exterior seal or to seal a fitting/ thermometer on the top of a keg?

    Thanks

    Posted by Jay on February 25, 2013
  • I’m new at this…are your stills pot stills or reflux?

    Posted by brian duff on February 20, 2013
  • how do you seal the top at the base ? paste every time ?

    Posted by troy sobolewski on February 17, 2013
  • What are the ratios so I can make sure my starting alcohol is at 20%

    Posted by Keenan Copp on February 13, 2013
  • I’ve watched some of your videos on building your kits and also brewing and you talk about yeast and off flavors, what brand of yeast do you use or recommend for a good flavorful brew? I’m going to purchase a 10 gal. still kit but I’m getting all of the info I can before I make my purchase. I’ve ordered some brewing components and am just trying to get as much info as I can so after I build the kit I can start brewing. Thanks for the info, videos, and the kits I cant wait to get started, Jeff.

    Posted by Jeff Rimmer on February 11, 2013
  • Just one ? How do o know the cops want kick down my door when it gets delivered do y’all have some type of privacy act

    Posted by kristophet banks on February 10, 2013
  • Do you give a list to the abc with names and address of people who purchase your products? Is my name and address going to be on record somewhere?

    Posted by Jim bob deluthe on February 07, 2013
  • Do you have the lead free solder,and flux available ?

    Posted by Martin smith on February 05, 2013
  • can i use plumbing solid wire solder, Bernzomatic silver bering lead free to make my still? thanks for all your stuff it makes this fun.

    Posted by Catoway on February 03, 2013
  • I’ll be purchasing one of your stills shortly!!!

    Posted by Mike Currin on February 03, 2013


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